Significant fire danger to the south...

The National Weather Service has issued the following special weather statement:

STRONG... POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS PARTS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY EVENING. WESTERLY WINDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH WITH FREQUENT GUSTS BETWEEN 50 MPH AND 65 MPH ARE EXPECTED. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL IMPACT THE UPPER GILA REGION EASTWARD TO THE SOUTH-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT HIGH PLAINS.

THE STRONG WINDS COMBINED WITH VERY LOW HUMIDITIES WILL RESULT IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING... MAINLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40. THE MOST EXTREME FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PARTS OF SOCCORO... LINCOLN... AND CHAVES COUNTIES PARTICULARLY ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SACRAMENTO AND GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS.

FARTHER NORTH... SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE HIGH COUNTRY NEAR THE COLORADO BORDER. HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SAN JUAN AND NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS COULD RECEIVE UP TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW FROM LATE MONDAY THROUGH MIDDAY TUESDAY. SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO DROP INTO THE VALLEYS MONDAY NIGHT. SNOWFALL WILL DIMINISH FROM THE WEST TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

THERE IS STILL UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE TRACK OF THIS STORM... WHICH HAS BEEN GRADUALLY TRENDING FARTHER SOUTH. THUS THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION TO DEVELOP FARTHER SOUTH ACROSS NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. THOSE PLANNING TRAVEL OR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST FORECAST AND STAY TUNED TO YOUR PREFERRED SOURCE FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS.